Paradise Lost
by Swansandsparrows
Summary: White sand. Palm trees. Paradise, or so Michael and Nikita think, until Percy implants a kill chip in Nikita's brain. How far will Michael go to save her? Lots of Mikita! **Final Chapters Added!**
1. Chapter 1: Paradise Found

**PARADISE LOST**

**_Set after 2x03. Please read and review if you want more chapters!_**

Nikita awoke in Michael's arms, the golden light streaming into the cozy bedroom. She turned her head, and outside of the floor to ceiling glass doors, she could see the white sandy beach. Paradise.

She sleepily traced circles with her fingertips on his muscled chest, enjoying the warmth his body provided. Birkhoff had demanded that they go on a vacation under the insistence that he was tired of being around them all the time. But Nikita knew that the nerd secretly liked having them around, and his way of showing his appreciation was kicking them out so that they could get some well deserved R&R after their last brush with disaster.

Michael reached over and gently brushed the hair out of her eyes, a sleepy smile dawning on his face as her lips found his and she gave him chaste kiss.

"You know, I never get tired of this view," he said, gazing into her eyes.

"I know what you mean. The ocean is awesome," she said, grinning. He laughed and kissed her forehead before drawing her to his chest.

"So, what shall we do today?" he asked. "Surfing? Snorkeling? Skinny dipping?"

"Or we could just stay in bed all day," she said, closing her eyes momentarily to bask in the warm rays of sunlight dripping into their room like honey.

"It's not like we haven't done that all week or anything," he teased.

"Well, if you're objecting-" she made a move to get up, but he just laughed, grabbed her waist and pulled her back to him with a passionate kiss.

"Definitely not objecting," he stated, running his hand down the side of her body, sending off jolts of electricity down her spine. She shivered, and not because she was cold.

Suddenly, the high pitched ringing of Nikita's cell phone pierced the comfortable morning air, making the two assassins instinctively jump, and effectively ruining the mood.

Michael groaned as Nikita pulled away from him and gathered the bedsheets around her. She walked over to the windowsill, looking at the caller ID. She turned back to Michael, who was watching her from the bed, drinking in her lithe frame outlined by the golden sun.

"It's Birkhoff," she said, smiling inwardly at the look of awe and love on his face as his blue eyes followed her every move.

"You don't have to answer it," he replies with a mischievous smile, but she does anyways, her gaze never leaving his.

"Hello?"

Michael watches her listen to what the person on the other end of the line is saying. Suddenly, her face grows pale, and her eyes widen in shock. Her knuckles turn white as she clenches the phone.

"Nikita?" Michael asks, concerned, jumping out of bed and hurrying over to her.

She's shaking as she hands the phone to him.

"It's for you," she whispers.

Michael puts the phone to his ear, and a cold, lethal voice that he knows all to well is the first thing he hears.

"Michael. Nice to talk to you again so long after our little argument."

Calculated. Feigning civility. It was _Percy_.

"What do you want?" Michael demands roughly. Nikita's face is ashen now, and there is fear in her eyes. Michael is in danger of snapping the flimsy phone in half.

"Now, Michael, that's no way to talk to somebody who is holding all of the cards."

"You're not in charge of Division anymore, Amanda is. And we have your Black Box. What cards could you possibly have?"

"The most valuable one. If you don't do what I say, Nikita will drop dead instantly. Are you listening now?"


	2. Chapter 2: Paradise In Turmoil

**Chapter 2: Paradise in Turmoil**

Previously:

_It was Percy._

_ "What do you want?" Michael demands roughly. Nikita's face is ashen now, and there is fear in her eyes. Michael is in danger of snapping the flimsy phone in half._

_ "Now, Michael, that's no way to talk to somebody who is holding all of the cards."_

_ "You're not in charge of Division anymore, Amanda is. And we have your Black Box. What cards could you possibly have?" _

_ "The most valuable one. If you don't do what I say, Nikita will drop dead instantly. Are you listening now?"_

**Instinctively, Michael drew Nikita close.** She was usually so strong, so sure, so fearless. But she knew that her life was no longer in her control, and she was breaking down. It frightened him, seeing her like this, feeling her shaking body against his as she struggled to stay calm.

"What did you do to her?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"I can hardly take all the credit. Old Division friends come in handy, you know. Especially ones that control airlines."

"What did you tell Nikita?" he demanded.

"I told her the truth, of course. I asked her if she remembered the overly-attentive flight attendant, the way you two just felt _so_ _tired _after those complimentary drinks. So tired, in fact, that you could sleep through almost anything. Put your hand behind her neck."

With a shaking hand, Michael gently smooths his fingertips over the back of her neck. He feels a bump that wasn't there before, and his heart drops like a stone.

Nikita looks up at him, her face open, vulnerable. _Scared_.

"It's a kill chip," he whispered.

"Bingo," Percy said, sounding pleased. "Newest generation. Able to be inserted without surgery, with a small pinch of a syringe. This kind is different, you see. Because at a touch of this button right here in front of me, Nikita won't face the luxury of a quick, merciful death. No, I made sure that she will _suffer_. The chip will release a poison directly into her bloodstream. It will be agonizing and slow, and it will feel like the very walls of her arteries are on fire, and she'll be begging for death to come, like she deserves."

"You _bastard_-" Michael begins under his breath, but stops himself, closing his eyes and mustering every shred of self control. He can't get Percy angry. Not with so much at stake. "What do you want, Percy?"

"First, I want my Black Box. You are going to get it from Birkhoff and deliver it to the address I send you. Then, you get to return to Division, just like the good old days. But this time, you've got a new mission: kill Amanda and Alex. If I'm going to return to Division, I want the traitors out. You get three days. If I don't have confirmation that you were successful by then, you can watch Nikita die and know that it was you who failed to prevent her suffering."

"You'll kill her anyways," Michael whispered. Nikita turned away and pressed against the window, drinking in the view of the waves as if they were the last beautiful thing she would see on this earth.

"Well that's just a gamble you're going to have to make," Percy said. "What is more important to you: your principles, or the woman you love? Three days, Michael."

Michael shut the phone, and stood next to Nikita, looking out at the waves. The pane of glass made them feel miles away from the unblemished shore. The golden glow was just beginning to leech away from the windows as the sun disappeared overhead. He wrapped his arms around her, and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and resting her head against his chest.

"You can't do it, Michael," she said softly, "you can't kill Alex. You can't give Percy the Box. You can't let him win."

"Nikita," he said, his voice breaking, "you can't ask me to watch you die. Maybe we can try to take it out-"

"If we do that, it'll activate anyways," she said, her voice shaking.

"Hey," he said, placing both hands on her shoulders, making her meet his eyes, "I'm not giving up on you. We'll figure this out. We'll find a way out."

Nikita rose up to her tip toes to kiss him, knotting her fingers in his hair as their lips moved together in a heated exchange. When they finally pulled away, their breathing uneven, Michael encircled her waist in his arms and the two gazed longingly out the window.

"Guess we have to leave paradise sooner than we expected," Nikita said.

"We'll be back," Michael said, hugging her tightly. "I promise."

_**Thank you guys for the awesome reviews. Seriously, when I read them, I want to give you all virtual cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. That are all soft and homemade and not completely cooked so they're gooey and delicious.**_

_**Please read and review for more chapters!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Unconquerable Will

**Paradise Lost**

**Chapter 3: Unconquerable Will**

**I need to stop refreshing my screen on my reviews page. I'm not getting anything done.**

**But you know what? I FEEL NO GUILT. **

**Your reviews complete me. Virtual glazed donuts for all you beautiful people. ;)**

_**Previously:**_

_ "First, I want my Black Box. You are going to get it from Birkhoff and deliver it to the address I send you. Then, you get to return to Division, just like the good old days. But this time, you've got a new mission: kill Amanda and Alex. If I'm going to return to Division, I want the traitors out. You get three days. If I don't have confirmation that you were successful by then, you can watch Nikita die and know that it was you who failed to prevent her suffering."_

_ "You'll kill her anyways," Michael whispered. Nikita turned away and pressed against the window, drinking in the view of the waves as if they were the last beautiful thing she would see on this earth._

_ "Well that's just a gamble you're going to have to make," Percy said. "What is more important to you: your principles, or the woman you love? Three days, Michael."_

_All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,_

_And study of revenge, immortal hate,_

_And courage never submit or yield:_

_And what is else not to be overcome?_

Milton, _Paradise Lost_

**Birkhoff knew that Michael and Nikita were in trouble the moment they returned. **

Back in the Division Days when Michael and Nikita were still playing their sexually-charged games of cat and mouse, only Birkhoff put together their longs looks and stolen glances. He was a genius after all, and he read the two of them like he read lines of code.

When he heard the door open, he swiveled away from his game of Call of Duty. He took in the way Nikita clung to Michael and the fire in Michael's eyes and he just _knew _that whatever the problem was, it was something big.

"Birkhoff, we need your help. We've got three days to take Percy down," Nikita said.

"_Percy_? Jeez, you two really know how to incite the devil himself, don't you? Amanda sentenced him to the infamous Division basement, didn't she?"

"Yeah, well, it didn't hold him for long," Michael said. "We also need you to make a copy of the Black Box."

"Do you know what you're asking? Do you know how complex the Box is? Just copying the encryption software could take weeks-"

"Then we'll have to give Percy the real Box," Michael said, exchanging a glance with Nikita, who winced at the thought.

Birkhoff stared at them in disbelief. "Are you hearing yourself? Turning over the Black Box means that Percy can just reverse everything we've worked to fix-"

"There's no other choice!" Michael shouted, slamming his hand down on the desk, making Nikita and Birkhoff jump. He stormed out of the room, taking steadying breaths and pacing the length of the hallway, trying to cool down. Nikita's anxious gaze followed him, but she let him walk it off.

Birkhoff looked up at Nikita. "I hate to ask this, I really do. But what kind of threat does Percy have hanging over you two?"

Wordlessly, Nikita sat down next to Birkhoff and lifted her hair up, revealing the small bump on the back of her neck.

"Next-gen kill chip," she said, letting her hair fall back down and drawing her knees up to her chest.

Birkhoff leaned back in his chair, with a shocked expression.

"I know this is wishful thinking, but... is there any way you could disable it?" Nikita asked, her face hopeful. _Maybe, just maybe this could all go away..._

"I can't disable it because I created it. It can't be disabled or removed after injection. I'm sorry, Nikita."

Nikita looked away, her eyes welling up. All her life, she had fought to get away from Division's control- from Percy's control- and now her fate had been sealed. She would be Percy's for the the rest of her life, however long that was.

"Listen, I know a fellow hacker who might be able to help me speed up the encryption process. With his help, there might be a chance I can create another Box in time."

"Do it," she said, standing up. "There is no way in _hell_ I'm going to let Percy have the real thing."

"When he finds out-" Birkhoff started.

"Let him," Nikita said, walking over to a crate of weapons and pulling out her favorite 9 mm semiautomatic and several rounds of ammo. "I'm not going down without a fight."

….

Michael didn't like the plan. Duplicating the box was risky enough, but Nikita's kinder nature was putting her life on the line. They might be able to somehow get in touch with Alex, and, with a stroke of luck, convince her to leave Division, fake her death, and go into hiding. That was a tall order. But why spare Amanda? Michael didn't understand why Nikita wouldn't kill the one woman who put her through hell with her endless mind games. Amanda was one of the few people Nikita truly feared because of her ability to break Nikita down. She was the one who found out about Daniel and sentenced him to die.

"I'm not killing for Percy. Never again," Nikita said, firmly. Michael said nothing. All he knew is that if he had Amanda in his sights, he wouldn't be as merciful. He'd take the shot, if it bought them some time.

And then there was the case of finding Percy.

"If you can get him to talk, you can find out the kind of poison that's in your chip," Birkhoff said. "Once you figure out what kind they used, all you have to do is carry the antidotes around with you at all times. You'll be free."

"Free," Nikita repeated to herself, the image of the white beach flooding her mind's eye. She closed her eyes and could almost taste the salty breeze on her tongue.

She felt Michael's arms wrap around her, and she smiled. "And all we have to do is break into Division to get it."

"It's almost ironic," Michael replied, tugging gently on her hand, leading her out of Birkhoff's cave and back towards their small room. The last rays of the sun were dipping under the horizon, but they were not the golden rays that had awoken her that morning in paradise. These rays were dark blue and faded, and the trees cast strange shadows through the window of their bedroom.

Michael's lips captured hers, soft and unyielding. She pressed the length of her body against him, slipping her cool hands underneath his shirt, skimming across the nakedness of his chest. They moved together in passion and desperation, two lovers on the verge of an abyss threatening to claw them apart.

They had two more days. But they also had a plan. No longer were they despairing, for even though courage may waver, the unconquerable bond they shared would keep them fighting, to the very last breath.

**Ask and you shall receive!**

**How quickly I post the next chapter depends on how many of you post reviews! Mwhahahaha. ;)**

_(By the way, I'm checking out some of your guys's Nikita fanfiction and I am blown away! Some of you guys are fantastic writers. I'm totes jealous. What's your secret for being so awesome?)_


	4. Chapter 4: Love Over Duty Over Love

**Paradise Lost**

**Chapter 4: Love Over Duty**

_Receive thy new Possesor: One who brings_

_A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time_

_The mind in its own place, and in itself_

-Milton, _Paradise Lost_

They didn't sleep much that night, for various reasons.

Nikita disentangled herself from Michael's warm body, and spent the rest of the night until dawn up with Birkhoff, trying to triangulate where Alex's new apartment could be. They spent four hours combing traffic cameras and searching for Alex's possible aliases in apartment listings before they found something.

"Thanks Nerd," Nikita said, flashing him a tired smile.

"You can thank me by letting me sleep," he said, crumpling up his Red Bull can and tossing it into the growing pile next to his desk.

Nikita yawned from her seat in the swivel chair next to Birkhoff. The reddish sunrise had just begun to flood the room, and both the color and the passing of time made her uneasy.

"Or maybe you should be the one to hit the hay," said Birkhoff, watching her eyes flicker warily around the room, as if she was disoriented.

Nikita looked straight at Birkhoff, and said: "I can sleep when I'm dead." And walked towards her and Michael's bedroom to get changed.

_Of course,_ Birkhoff thought to himself, Nikita would trivialize her fate. _She may not be fearless, but she doesn't let that stop her from taunting the forces at play._

And with that, he downed two 5-hour energy drinks and two shots of espresso. Sleep was no option when it was up to him to save Michael and Nikita- as usual- by finding a way to duplicate the box.

…

Michael awoke in a panic. Nikita's side of the bed was cold, and he was alone. His heart dropped. _Did Percy...?_

His thoughts were cut off by a slender figure quietly opening the door and stepping into the ray of blood-red sunlight seeping in from behind the curtains.

"Michael, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting down next to him on the bed, his arms automatically finding their way around her, her head resting against his bare chest, her large, concerned eyes looking up at him. She was wearing black tights and one of his shirts and looking beautifully disheveled.

He didn't want to tell her that he was afraid of losing her. He didn't want to add to the burden she carried. But still, he would tell her anyways, because he wasn't sure how much time they had left.

"I love you, Nikita."

She looked up at him, a smile lighting up her face. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you're just trying to get into my pants."

He laughed and just pulled her closer to him, afraid of letting her go.

…

When they left for Alex's apartment a little after 6AM, Michael insisted on driving. Nikita's usual calm was frayed from her restless night and the fact that she was putting her trust in Alex not to tell Division, not to warn Amanda, and to go along with their plan.

Nikita skipped through the radio stations, turning the dial round and round until Michael had to put a hand on hers.

"Relax, Nikita."

Nikita looked up at him, her soft lips pursed. "Do you think she'll listen to us? Do you think she'll help?"

"Why wouldn't she?"

…

Alex trudged through the white hallways of Division, her head pounding and her clothes smudged with ash. She smelled like gunpowder and felt like hell, having just returned from a simple overseas recon mission that had turned into a firefight. Alex and Sean had barely escaped with their lives.

Sean was waiting for her by the elevator. He was already cleaned up and dressed in his neatly pressed suit, smelling of crisp aftershave and a dose of caffeine running through his veins. He dangled her car keys from his fingers.

"Why do you have my keys?" she demanded, her speech just _barely_ slurring, her head feeling like the inside of her skull was being pounded by a swinging hammer.

"Why, you're in the mood for driving?" he asked, pushing the button and smirking at her.

She glared at him. He was right, and she hated him for that. What right did he have to be put together and unfazed by the twelve hour plane flight on a military fighter jet? The elevator dinged, and she followed him in, tilting her head in a way that was meant to portray superiority, but really just made her look silly. Sean smiled to himself. _She's always trying to prove she can take care of herself._

The drive to her apartment was silent, but the quietness wasn't awkward or a void that needed to be filled. It just _was_. That's how Sean felt with Alex: they operated almost as if they were separate spheres, just existing. That's why the moments he got through to her- about revenge, about Nikita, about Semak- were the most poignant.

Sean stopped in front of her apartment building, pulling in front of one of the parking meters and turning the car off.

Alex blinked several times before Sean opened her door for her. She stepped out, confused. "How are you getting back to Division?" she asked groggily. "It's not like you can hail a cab."

A faint hint of a smile ghosted across his mouth. "'Where to?' 'Oh, you know, the closest secret underground black ops organization from here.'"

Alex laughed. She _laughed_. The sound surprised her, and she fell silent. When was the last time someone had made her laugh?

Sean watched her expressions, changing like a kaleidoscope of emotions. Every time their spheres touched, he saw a new side of her.

"Let me walk you up to your apartment. I'll call someone to pick me up."

Alex nodded, the world feeling hazy around her. She needed sleep to the point where she wouldn't rule out accidentally walking into the wrong apartment. Sean held the door open for her, and they headed up to the apartment.

…

Alex wasn't at her apartment when Michael and Nikita arrived.

"It's too risky to stay and wait," Michael said.

Nikita held up a cell phone. "Let me just leave this here for her." She hid the burner phone in the bedroom lampshade, just like old times.

Nikita hoped that someday, things could be mended with Alex. That she would understand the extent to which Division corrupts, how it warps the people it controls. Nikita should have remembered that when she agreed to insert Alex into Division. She should have said _no_.

"Ready?" Michael asked from the doorway of Alex's bedroom, and Nikita nodded. She followed Michael to the kitchen.

…

Alex handed Sean the key, and he slid it into the door, turning the handle.

On the other side stood two of the most lethal threats to National Security to Sean's knowledge.

He drew his gun and fired.

…

A/N: Dear wonderful readers: don't forget to review! Your reviews are the Dove Chocolate my creative storytelling machine runs on.


	5. Chapter 5: Sacrifices

**Paradise Lost**

Chapter 5:

_Previously:_

_ Alex handed Sean the key, and he slid it into the door, turning the handle._

_ On the other side stood two of the most lethal threats to National Security to Sean's knowledge._

_ He drew his gun and fired._

Sean fired. He couldn't help it. The two people he had been trained to kill on sight were standing in front of him.

His bullet grazed Michael's arm. Michael pushed Nikita behind the kitchen counter. Sean fired again.

"Stop!" Yelled Alex, and grabbed Sean's arm, knocking the gun out of his hands. He stared at her in disbelief.

"You're working with them?" he asked, his voice betraying his shock. "If Amanda knew-"

"I'm not. And Amanda doesn't need to know they are here," Alex said, her voice lethal.

Nikita helped Michael up, her eyes warily watching Sean. "He's Division, isn't he?"

"Oversight." Alex glared at him. "You can leave, now. This doesn't concern you."

The killer's gleam in his eyes dulled. "I'm staying."

Alex was about to protest, but knew it would be no use. He was just as stubborn as she could be. "If a word of this gets out, I'll kill you myself," Alex said.

Sean nodded, his eyes trained on Nikita. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Nikita glanced at Sean, and then at Michael, who was grimacing and holding his arm, but was otherwise okay.

"Sean, do you know where Percy is?" she asked.

Sean's eyes narrowed. "He's trapped in Division, still. If you're thinking about breaking him out-"

"No. He's not in Division. Oversight moved him to another facility. Amanda made a deal to get him a window with a view," Alex said.

Sean slowly shook his head. "We definitely did not arrange for him to be transported. I would know if we did."

"Oh my God," Alex said, realizing what had happened.

"Did you oversee his transfer?" Nikita demanded.

Alex shook her head. "No. Some Oversight agents came in and transferred him themselves..."

"I need you to get me any footage from the transfer," Nikita said, "and I'm going to need to talk to Amanda."  
>"What is going on, Nikita?" Alex asked, watching her old mentor with a look of complete confusion. "Did Percy find you or something?"<p>

Nikita looked away, her eyes unfocusing for a moment. "Something like that."

Michael glared at Sean, and pulled Alex aside, speaking in a low voice. "Percy implanted a kill chip into Nikita's brain. We need to find him. Can you get us any intel you have on the men who helped Percy escape and his possible location?"

Alex eyes went wide. "Of course."  
>"And if it comes down to killing Amanda to buy us some time..." he said, looking at Alex pointedly.<p>

"But what about Semak?"

"Find out all you can, as soon as possible. But if the time comes, you need to do this. For Nikita."

Alex hesitated. Semak was hunting her now, and she needed to kill him before he got to her. How could she do that if her only link to Semak was dead?

"Alex?"

"I'll do it," she said, surprised by the confident tone of her voice. Would she be able to expose of her most valuable asset for Nikita?

Michael nodded, and turned back to Nikita, who still seemed far away. "Ready to go, Nikita?"

Nikita gave Alex one last glance that communicated everything- Nikita's wish that things could have been different, that different choices that had been made, and her plea for help. Alex looked away.

"Better find a way to explain this to the police," Michael said, and brushed past Sean, following Nikita out of the apartment as the sirens began in the distance.

"I've got this," Alex said to Sean, her exhaustion creeping up on her again. Sean nodded, his face impassive. Alex watched him walk out her door. He wouldn't say anything, not when it meant jeopardizing her life. Over the past few missions, they had bonded. Never leave a man behind, wasn't that his philosophy? Weren't they a team now?

Alex knew that, deep down, there was a part of him that hated Division just as much as she did. She was sure of it.

...

Amanda looked up from her computer as the door of her office swung open with a bang.

"Sean?"

Sean approached her desk, his eyes never meeting hers.

"Alex is working with Nikita," Sean said, and proceeded to tell her everything.

**A/N: Your review = fuel to keep this story going! I've got a clear idea of what will happen in the coming installments, and there will be several big twists coming up, and a surprise ending in the last chapter. Intrigued? Go review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6: No Survivors

**Paradise Lost**

**Chapter 6: No Survivors**

_Previously:_

_ "Alex is working with Niktia," Sean said, and proceeded to tell Amanda everything._

Just when Michael and Nikita were fleeing from Alex's apartment, Percy called.

"You know, handing over a hard drive shouldn't be that time consuming," Percy said, ever the master at subtle threats.

"No, but you wouldn't believe the time it takes to go behind Birkhoff's back and circumnvent his security measures," Nikita liedl Michael was on his own cell phone, whispering to the computer genius in question, trying to triangulate the location of Percy's call.

"Strange, if I were you, I would try to use Birkhoff to take me down."

"Right, and your advice is something I follow to the letter," she said. Michael mouthed: keep him talking.

"Oh, bu that's where you're wrong, Nikita. This isn't advice. It's an observation. You have thirty-three hours."

He hung up. Nikita slowly drew the phone away from her ear and looked at Michael, who smiled.

"We found him."

…

Birkhoff uploaded Percy's coordinates straight to their car.

"He's hiding out in Toronto. God knows why, nothing ever happens in Toronto. You're going to have to put the pedal to the metal to get there in time, but with the whole plane situation considered, it's our best bet."

"Made any progress on the black box?" Nikita asked.

"No, but I'm working on it," he said. "Good luck guys."

"Thanks." Nikita pressed the red button on her steering wheel, ending the call.

"Nikita, if this doesn't work and the replica isn't ready, we have to give Percy the real box."

Nikita shook her head, keeping her eyes on the road, gripping the steering wheel. "Not an option. And this will work. We're going to take down Percy and find the antidote for this damn kill chip."

Michael was silent.

Nikita's voice turned serious. "Michael, you have to promise me that if... that no matter what happens, you won't let Percy win. You can't give him the box."

Michael gazed at her, still not saying anything. He'd sacrifice anything if it meant that she had the chance of staying alive, if it meant they might, someday, make it back to paradise with her.

"You know I can't promise that," he said softly, reaching over and brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

Nikita took a deep breath and looked over at him, her eyes wide, open- scared. "Michael," she said, taking another steadying breath, "There's something I need to tell you. I-"

Out of nowhere, a car came speeding out of a line of trees and smashed into the side of Michael and Nikita's Kia, sending it flying off the road, flipping over and over as it tumbled down a steep hill- and crashed into a tree with a bone-breaking crunch. The dust settled. The engine caught fire. A glorious streak of crimson flame licked the side of the tree, catching immediately and the liquid heat spreading and emitting thick black columns of smoke.

The car that had hit them- an unscathed muscle truck with metal bars on the front- was perched at the top of the hill. The doors banged open, and Division agents poured out of the vehicle, armed to the teeth.

They beelined towards the flaming wreckage, scanning for survivors.

If there were any.

**A/N: Your review = fuel to keep this story going! I've got a clear idea of what will happen in the coming installments, and there will be several big twists coming up, and a surprise ending in the last chapter. Intrigued? Go review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Operator

Paradise Lost

Chapter 7: Operator

_Previously:_

_ Nikita took a deep breath and looked over at him, her eyes wide, open- scared. "Michael," she said, taking another steadying breath, "There's something I need to tell you. I-"_

_ Out of nowhere, a car came speeding out of a line of trees and smashed into the side of Michael and Nikita's Kia, sending it flying off the road, flipping over and over as it tumbled down a steep hill- and crashed into a tree with a bone-breaking crunch. The dust settled. The engine caught fire. A glorious streak of crimson flame licked the side of the tree, catching immediately and the liquid heat spreading and emitting thick black columns of smoke._

_ The car that had hit them- an unscathed muscle truck with metal bars on the front- was perched at the top of the hill. The doors banged open, and Division agents poured out of the vehicle, armed to the teeth._

_ They beelined towards the flaming wreckage, scanning for survivors._

_ If there were any._

….

The elevator screeched to a halt. That was never a good sign- especially not in Division, where the only way in- and out- happened to be through the same elevator Alex was stuck in at that very moment.

She jammed the button several times, but nothing happened. She cursed under her breath and was about to pull out her phone when the elevator jerked to a start, suddenly moving downwards again. But the elevator passed the floors rapidly, skipping the main floor of Division that Alex had pressed the button for.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, hitting all of the buttons, but none of them would light up. The elevator stopped in the basement, and the doors opened with a polite _ding_.

"On the other side of the metal doors stood Amanda, Sean, and several Division guards, holding guns trained on her.

"Hello Alex," Amanda said, a smirk curling across her face.

Alex flattened against the side of the elevator by the buttons. She tried desperately to close the metal doors. One of the Division guards entered the elevator and she knocked the gun away with a swift chop, twisting his arm and flipping him over. She whirled around, landing a kick in the other guard's chest.

She heard the lethal click of a gun. She froze, and looked down the barrel of a gun Sean was pointing at her.

Alex's glare could cut through stone. "_You_," she snarled.

He looked away, unable to hold her gaze.

"I'm surprised, Alex. I thought you wanted to find Semak."

"Whatever Sean told you is a lie!" Alex yelled, but it was no use. The Division guards dragged her down a hallway, into a holding cell with floor to ceiling cement and no windows or light source other than the small, reinforced glass square at the very top of the door.

"_Traitor_!" She yelled back at Sean. The Division guards threw her into the room and slammed the door shut, the locks shifting into place. Alex ran to the window. Was that a look of _guilt_ in Sean's face? _Good. He deserves to suffer,_ Alex thought, turning back to the dimly lit cell. He had sentenced her to die here, and no one could save her. With a strangled cry, Alex kicked at the metal cot, pain immediately shooting up her foot and she crumpled to the floor, her eyes stinging. _I'm going to die here._

….

The thick, grainy smoke billowed into the car.

Michael coughed, regaining consciousness quickly as he realized the immediate danger. The car was upside-down, and his seatbelt was keeping him suspended. He unbuckled it, and fell to the ceiling. In the driver's seat, Nikita lay limp.

"Nikita!" he called out gruffly, coughing on the smoke. He shook her, trying to wake her up, but she didn't move. He unbuckled her. "Come on, Nikita, wake up!" he urged, but she remained unconscious. He kicked out the door, and pulled her out, her body as lifeless as a ragdoll. He scooped her into his arms, his eyes burning from the smoke and the panic of the possibility of losing her. He struggled to his feet in the grass, and in front of him stood a dozen armed Division agents, weapons trained on him.

He'd pictured this scene many times in his head: him and Nikita, cornered, no way out, the enemy on all sides. This seemed like the inevitable end for them: going out in a hail of bullets, breathing their last breaths together, sharing that last goodbye. Their final moments, they would be together. But this wasn't fair. He wouldn't be able to say his goodbye to her now. He couldn't tell her how much she meant to him, how she changed him. _Saved_ him.

So he held her tighter, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his lips to her forehead. Then, he raised his eyes to the squadron of agents in front of him. He wasn't ready to die- but who really is? He took a deep breath, and steeled himself for his end.

One of the agents raised his gun.

And fired.

Michael slumped to his knees, still holding onto Nikita. But the pain wasn't what he had expected- it was sharp, centralized. And why was his vision swimming like this? He managed to look down, and he saw a tranquilizer dart sticking out of his shoulder.

This was worse than an actual bullet.

What awaited them- that was worse than death.

And he still would not get his goodbye.

…

Birkhoff stared at the computer. This wasn't working. He had tried every algorithm in his big book of hacker tips to copy the black box. But it just wasn't possible. This was not going to work, not in thirty hours.

"God, Nikki, why do you always have the whole world after you?" he asked to the open air.

"She's the one who asked for it," a voice said.

Birkhoff whirled around in his chair. Great. Another unexpected visitor with a gun. He looked like one of those hotshot Division agents: pressed suit, lethal stance, stoic expression.

But then this man did something strange. He holstered his weapon. Birkhoff narrowed his eyes. These people were more dangerous when they were trying to make friends.

"Who the _hell_ are you and what are you doing in my house?" Birkhoff demanded.

"I'm Sean. And I need to talk to Nikita and Michael right now," he said.

Birkhoff crossed his arms. "Do I look like an operator to you?"

Sean just smirked. "I know how to take down Percy."

"Let me get them on the line."


	8. Chapter 8: Goodbye

**Paradise Lost**

**Chapter 8: Goodbye**

_Last time on Paradise Lost..._

_Sean screwed over Alex but is now helping Birkhoff. Nikita and Michael have been taken by Division. _

Nikita awoke in the one place that still haunted her, that still brought back nightmares.

Division.

More specifically, the grimy floor of a Division cell. But she knew where she was. Just the smell of stale air clued her in. That air she had breathed for years as they trained her to kill, to murder, to use her hands to choke the life out of any target.

As much as she had tried to forget about this place, it was still etched in her brain. She drew her legs to her chest, wondering why she wasn't restrained. This was a bad sign. Chains, she could get out of. Ropes, she could use to her advantage. Whatever invisible power they had over her could not be as easily shaken. Mind games, that's what Division excelled in.

The door swung open, and there stood Amanda. Just Amanda, but that was enough to drive fear into the heart of Nikita. If anyone was going to be the puppet-master of these mind games, it was her.

Amanda held up a tablet that showed security footage of another cell. In that cell was Michael, lying unconscious on the floor. Nikita's eyes grew wide, and her breathing quickened. _Was he...?_

"You fight, he dies," Amanda said.

"How do I know-"

"You don't." Amanda's red lips twisted into a smirk. She walked into the cell, her jet black high heels clicking on the floor and echoing off the walls. "Thanks to Sean, we were able to pinpoint your location. And you know what? It's too bad about the kill chip. Not much time to get the information we need. Good thing we have Michael here to act as... _incentive_."

Amanda held up the ipad again. A man was in the room with Michael, holding a syringe and standing by, as if waiting for orders.

Nikita felt her eyes burning with angry tears, and there was nothing more she wanted to do at that moment then to rip the ipad from Amanda's hands and swing it, _hard_, to hear the satisfying crack of the device making contact with Amanda's skull.

"Only the best for a patriot like Michael. Military-grade poison, the kind that breaks down the body from the inside out. We didn't have enough time to set up a kill chip operation, but that would have been poetic, wouldn't it?" Amanda just smirked at Nikita's lethal glare, her body practically shaking with anger.

"Now we're going to give you one chance," Amanda continued. "Lead us to the Black Box."

…

The Black Box had fueled their crusade, and was a road map for Nikita to right a portion of the wrongs she had helped to commit.

And now, all of her work was about to be undone, and Division would have the Box, Michael, and the upper hand.

Nikita led Amanda and a squadron of Division guards towards the front door of Birkhoff's house. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, her white tank top and leggings still covered in the ash of the car wreck.

Birkhoff. She hoped he would be monitoring the feeds. But then again, she hoped he wasn't, for Michael's sake. She needed the Box, even though it meant defeat.

Nikita put her hand on the cold handle on the front door, and shivered. Maybe Amanda would kill her once she got the box. Maybe it would be quick, merciful.

Yeah, right.

She turned the handle, stepping onto the oriental rug and slowly making her way into the house.

"Birkhoff?" She called. The Division agents entered the house, filing in and flattening against the walls. Amanda held back, watching the scene unfold from the doorway.

Nikita cautiously entered the living room. No sign of Birkhoff, but the Black Box was just sitting there, on his desk, unguarded and accessible.

"It's in here," Nikita called back, watching as the agents descended on the box. Amanda, who walked into the room with the ipad at her side.

"Authenticate it," Amanda said, and the agents plugged it into the computer. A menu popped up: all of the missions. All of the wrongs Nikita had tried to right. They were there.

A malicious smirk tugged at the corners of Amanda's mouth as she saw the list of missions. "You know what, Nikita? I underestimated your love for Michael. I thought you'd try to trick us. Too bad I'm not a woman of my word."

Amanda raised her gun, and Nikita looked down the barrel without fear, like an inmate on death row, exhausted from the anticipation of death to the point where she could almost remain indifferent.

But then she remembered Michael, and the indifference went away. _She hadn't been able to say goodbye._

"Goodbye, suckers!" A familiar voice yelled from the speakers of Birkhoff's computer. Suddenly, the Black Box exploded: a compact explosion, a large spark of white heat that gave them just the element of surprise they needed.

Birkhoff and Sean appeared at the foot of the stairs, firing at the Division agents. Nikita spun around and landed a kick directly in Amanda's stomach, throwing her backwards, hitting the wall with a crack, knocking her out cold.

Nikita disarmed another agent with several efficient moves, and Sean took out the final Division guard with a single bullet.

The three of them stood in the smoke-filled room, bodies littering the floor. Sean and Nikita locked eyes.

"Thank you," she said.

Sean just nodded.

"Hey, guess who has two thumbs and was the one who rigged that Black Box explosive at the last possible minute?" Birkhoff said, gesturing to himself.

Nikita just pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Nerd."

She pulled away. "Michael's trapped in Division-"

"Not for long." Sean picked up the ipad lying next to Amanda and handed it to Birkhoff. "This device has remote access to Division. Can you hack it?"

"Michael's cell isn't connected to the mainframe system," Nikita said.

"I figured that. Good thing I have an agent on the inside," Sean said, a hint of a smile ghosting across his face. "Cell thirteen. Alex's. Give her directions to Michael's cell over the room's PA system, then set her free. We can get Michael out."

…

Alex sat on the cot, bundling up her red leather jacket to use as a pillow. She tried not to think- about Sean, about how quickly Division cast her aside, about her fate. But she couldn't help it- her thoughts came creeping up on her, lurking in the shadows of her mind. Demons she could not rid herself of.

Alex jumped at the sound of static, looking around, spotting a speaker on the ceiling.

"Listen, Alex, it's Nikita. I need you to find Michael, he's being kept in one of the manual holding cells not connected to the Division network. I need you to find him, then escape. Got it?"

"Nikita, Sean betrayed-"

"Alex, Sean's the one who helped Birkhoff save us. He used Amanda to find out Percy's location, and planted you inside Division so you could help us escape. We're opening your cell. Go quickly!"

Something inside of Alex glowed at the thought that Sean had been on her side after all. _Never leave a man behind._

The door swung open, and Alex darted down the hall towards the holding cells. It was time for her to join the fight on the right side. On Michael and Nikita's side. On Sean's side.

…

Michael and Alex arrived at Birkhoff's house twenty minutes later, sporting new bruises and bumps but nothing serious.

The moment Michael limped into the door, Nikita jumped into his arms. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you alive," she confessed. Michael was about to say something when Birkhoff cut in.

"Uh, guys, I just got a hit on Percy's location. You'll never guess where he is," Birkhoff said.

"Where?" Michael asked.

"Two blocks from us."

_**A/N: **_

_**This story is almost finished! A few more twists up ahead...**_

_**Virtual Halloween candy for all of you who review! I love to hear your feedback on how to improve my writing. And how can you resist virtual M&Ms and Swedish fish?**_


	9. Chapter 9: Lost and Found

Paradise Lost

Chapter 9: Lost and Found

_Previously:_

_ "Uh, guys, I just got a hit on Percy's location. You'll never guess where he is," Birkhoff said._

_ "Where?" Michael asked._

_ "Two blocks from us."_

Nikita turned to Alex and Sean. "You guys need to leave. This isn't your fight."

"But Nikita-" Alex protested.

Nikita shook her head. "Take Amanda, bring her back to Division and interrogate her about Semak. You need to find him so you can wash your hands of Division forever."

Alex looked as if she was about to stay, but Nikita's words made sense. "Good luck," she said. Alex turned to Sean, and they locked eyes. Their wordless exchange was all they needed to understand each other.

Amanda was beginning to regain consciousness. Sean hauled her to her feet, and with one last look at Michael and Nikita, Alex followed him to the car.

"Birkhoff, is there a way you can monitor us from another location? Things could get ugly here, and as much as we need your help, you can't be here either."

"I detest surveillance vans," he muttered, grabbing an ear bud from his desk drawer. "Microphones on, kiddos," he said as he left the room and headed to his massive garage.

Michael turned to Nikita. "Nikita, how on earth are we going to deal with this?"

"As far as Percy knows, Alex and Amanda are dead. That just leaves the Black Box."

Michael watched her. "You want to hand it over?"

"When I thought I was going to lose you, I led Division straight to the Box. If there's a chance-"

"We're handing it over," Michael said, taking her hand. "We can bounce back from losing the Box. But I won't lose you. I won't."

The way he gazed at her, she felt like the center of his world. Those blue eyes of his- they communicated a love that ran deeper than she would ever know.

"Incoming," Birkhoff said over the radio, "Percy and several armed guards. They're pulling up now."

They heard the squeal of tires as a black armored car pulled up in front of Birkhoff's house. Michael and Nikita hid behind two corners, where they had a clear shot of the door.

The handle of the front door twisted, and slowly opened.

Something clattered across the floor: a small, metal canister.

It burst into a gust of white smoke expanded immediately, filling the room and blinding Michael and Nikita. The Division agents swarmed in, wearing gas masks. The smoke thinned just a little as the door opened wider, a gust of air blowing in.

Nikita flew at one of the men with a flying kick, disarming him and using his gun to pepper bullets at two of the others.

Another man came through the doorway, Nikita in the sights of his pistol.

A loud _crack_ of a bullet and the agent stumbled backwards. Michael's bullet had met its mark.

And, in through the door, strolled Percy, in a fine pressed suit with glowing gold cufflinks and an authoritative stance. His finger hovers over a button.

_The kill chip remote._

"Put your weapons down, or she dies," Percy spat out, glaring at Nikita with all of the hatred and loathing in the world. His finger twitched on the trigger, and Nikita's heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly, everything was delicate, fragile. Moments from now, she could be dead. There was no fighting this one out- this was a Division mind game she could not outwit.

Nikita put her gun on the ground and kicked it across the floor to Percy.

Michael did the same.

"The Black Box," Percy said, holding out an outstretched hand.

Michael and Nikita exchanged desperate looks. Was there any way they could get out of this alive?

"Michael, go get it," Percy demanded. "You were the one to take it from me, and you'll be the one to return it."

"In return for Nikita's life. You have to destroy that remote. You can't activate the kill chip," Michael said, trying to ensure her safety.

"You're not in a bargaining position, Michael. If you don't get me the Box, she dies, right here. And you get to watch."

Michael held up his hands. "Okay, okay. It's over here." He walks over to the desk, and Percy watches, his hand still poised over the small red button on the remote. Michael opens the hidden compartment of Birkhoff's desk: it slides open, and there, resting on a cushy backing, wires sticking out of it, is the most precious tool in taking down Division and Oversight. The Black Box.

Slowly, he holds it up, and hands it over to Percy. To the enemy.

Percy takes it, examining it closely, cataloging the scratches and nicks on the seamless black with his photographic memory. With one final look at Michael and Nikita, a malicious smirk crosses his scheming face.

"To bad I'm not a man of my word."

He pressed the button, and the lethal click pierced through the tense silence.

Nikita gripped the back of her neck, and fell to her knees, her breath frozen in her lungs.

The kill chip had been activated.

_"NO!"_ Michael yelled.

He pulled out a handgun that had been hidden inside his jacket, and _shot Percy_, the bullet piercing the man's lung.

The Black Box clattered to the wood floor, sliding under a desk.

At that point, it didn't matter that all of the other Black Boxes would be uploaded, that the world would be thrown into chaos if Percy died right there. Michael didn't _care_. The world was losing its color as Nikita struggled on the floor, shaking with pain as the poison pulsed through her veins.

He darted to her side, his arms reaching, encircling her, pulling her to him, his face contorted in distress. Her breathing was hitching, and she was making small whimpering noises, slowly slipping away from him.

He held on tighter, realizing that this time, he had a chance to say goodbye.

"Nikita," he said urgently, his voice breaking as he spoke, "I love you, more than anything in this world. We may have lost our chance at paradise, but we will never lose each other. Not really. We'll meet again, someday. Wherever we find each other after this life. But we will. I promise."

Nikita looked up at him with trembling eyes, her breathing becoming more and more labored. "I will never forget you," she choked out, her face becoming pale.

She was his world.

_And he was about to lose her._

"Michael- check Percy's cufflinks!" Birkhoff yelled over the comm. "I can't believe I forgot about them. Back when Division first started, I engineered two pills for him. One was a suicide pill. The other- it was a general antidote for a wide variety of poisons."

Michael scrambled over to Percy, who was barely breathing. He fumbled with the cufflinks- sure enough, there was one pill in each one. Both were identical.

"Percy, which one is the antidote?" Michael demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" snarled Percy, his voice coming out in gasps.

"Birkhoff, which one is it?" Michael asked, looking at the two pills in his hand.

"I don't know! Percy said they had to look identical."

Michael held Nikita's life in the palm of his hand. But the question was, which one?

Suddenly, Michael's eyes lit up. _He knew_. Back in Division, Percy had always fidgeted with the right cufflink before eating a single morsel. Percy was paranoid to the point where he would think that there was a possibility that his food could be poisoned.

He threw the pill from his left hand down on the floor and turned back to Nikita, giving her the other pill, instructing her to swallow. Praying that his intuition was right.

_"Please, let this work,"_ he whispered, cradling Nikita's shuddering form in his arms.

She was still shaking, her face losing color. "Goodbye," she gasped out.

"No!" Michael said in anguish.

_ Not her. Not her. _

Then, something amazing happened.

Slowly, her spasms subsided. Her breathing returned to a normal rhythm. After a few minutes, she reached up and wordlessly put her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder so he wouldn't see her tears.

Michael thanked every divine god he could think of, tears of relief, of joy, just knowing she was still here. She was _safe_. And he'd give his life to keep her that way.

"You saved me," she said, her voice weak.

"That's my job," he responded, his voice gruff with emotion. He reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. "Ready to return to that beach?"

She nodded, a soft smile spreading across her lips. "I'm ready to find paradise again."

Birkhoff sighed over the mic. "God, get an island you two."

"We plan on it," Michael responded, and pulled Nikita into a soul-searing kiss, threading his fingers in her hair.

_A/N: I have a question for you guys! What do you think of the level of details I put into this story? Do you think I should spend more time describing how the characters look/feel and what they're wearing? I'm a screenwriter, so I tend to focus more on action instead of description because that's how I think, and I'm worried about adding too much detail and slowing the pace of the story down, especially because we already know what the characters look like and the feel of the show. But I'm always trying to improve on my fiction, and I want to hear your input!_

_What do you think? :)_


	10. Chapter 10: Epilogue

_Paradise Lost_

_Epilogue:_

Nikita stood on the edge of the beach, her white dress rippling against the glorious colors of the sunrise. The warm, tropical waters teased her toes, ebbing and flowing beneath her.

She felt a presence behind her. She just smiled, knowing who it was based on the fact that they were the only two people inhabiting this island.

"So what shall we do today?" he asked, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Live," she said, simply, looking out at the brightening horizon. Michael took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"That sounds like a plan," he said, and she beamed at him. They looked out at the crystal blue water together for a moment before she turned to him again.

"So what happened to Percy?"

"He survived, but he'll be living out the rest of his life in a maximum security prison. Birkhoff managed to hack into the Terrorist Watchlist and add his name to the list."

Michael slid an arm around her waist, watching her pensive expression with a smile. He loved to see her so happy.

"So what were you going to tell me in that car?" he asked.

Her round almond eyes looked up at him, and with a sly smile, she took his other hand in hers. Carefully, watching his expression, she laid his hand gently on her stomach.

A look of absolute joy dawned on Michael's face, his jaw dropping and his eyes searching hers with a kind of hopefulness that made her heart leap. "You're-"

"Pregnant," she said, her voice just a little unsure.

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. His face was wet with tears.

"Michael," she said, hardly believing the words she was speaking, "we're going to have a family."

She put her hands on the sides of his face, and leaned up and locked her lips with his.

They had been running for so long. And now, they had found their paradise: not an island, not a vacation, but a knowledge that, together, they could embark on their own journey, separate from the pain and death that had surrounded them for so long.

This was the sunrise of their new lives as they found paradise.

As a family.

_Author's Note:_

Dear reviewers, I want to thank you. I wrote this story with the intention of only doing one or two chapters. Your encouragement and constructive criticism means the absolute _world_ to me, and I thank you for letting me share this story with you. You have truly inspired me.

Thank you.


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